05.02.2026 Statement on United Nations peacekeeping operations Police Commissioners

Check Against Delivery

Thank you, Mr. President, 

Let me also thank today’s briefers for their insightful remarks, in particular the perspectives shared from the front lines of UNMISS and MONUSCO.

And let me also thank all UN peace keepers who keep working under extremely difficult circumstances. And to pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate price in their efforts for peace.

Mr. President,

We meet at a time when the nature of conflict is changing.

Many crises today are driven not only by political violence, but by illicit economies and criminal actors exercising control on the ground.

This has serious implications for how the United Nations approach peace operations and transitions and for how police functions operate within that framework.

Mr. President, allow me to make three points.

First, peace operations remain an essential tool. They protect civilians, support political processes and help stabilise fragile situations. United Nations Police is an important part of these tasks – today and in the future.

We see it in UNMISS, where UN Police provides critical frontline support to the mission’s protection of civilian mandate. This includes preventive and confidence‑building patrols, community‑oriented policing, and measures to prevent sexual and gender‑based violence. Through mentoring and advising the South Sudan National Police Service and deploying mixed and all‑female teams, UN Police strengthens trust in state institutions, enhances early‑warning and information‑gathering, and helps create safer conditions for durable peace.

But there is still work to be done; Haiti provides a stark example, where gangs operate as de facto authorities, undermining governance and the rule of law.

If such dynamics shape the conflict, they must also be reflected in how missions are designed, sequenced and transitioned — including how and when police functions are brought in.

Second, across several missions, UN police operates in extremely challenging environments, often with limited authority and limited resources. This is not a failure of UN Police, but a reflection of mandates and mission designs that do not always match the realities on the ground.

As we have heard, UN Police plays a pivotal role in fostering trust and solidarity with local communities. UNPOL bridges peacekeeping missions and host communities, they build trust and solidarity through community-oriented policing.  UNPOL is not an add-on at the end of the mission. It is a strategic bridge between military stabilisation and lasting peace. UNPOL also supports  transitions from conflict to sustainable peace, where there is a need for law enforcement institutions that can uphold public order, protect civilians, and restore trust in the state — in full respect of rule of law and human rights.

With these perspectives in mind, we look forward to the upcoming Review of the future of all forms of UN peace operations to consider how UN policing can be better integrated into the wider peacekeeping architecture — including through specialist expertise and smarter use of new technologies.

And third, there is a need to strengthen the mission-level planning process that brings civilian, police and military components into one effects-based plan tied to mandate priorities.  That is why Denmark, together with Austria, is leading an initiative together with 40 other Member States to strengthen integrated mission planning. This means embedding police leadership and expertise from day one into mandate design, operational planning and transition strategies.

Mr. President, in closing,

If peace operations are to deliver lasting results, policing cannot be an afterthought.

It must be planned early.
Resourced properly.
And treated as a strategic function within peace operations.

Denmark remains committed to strengthening the role of policing within present and future UN peace operations.

Thank you.